I am trying to help someone who has been conned by a cowboy tv company.

[Brent pigeon]

They took everything out of her home and sold it for peanuts. She went into it under the impression that it was a BBC programme and that they would clear out her clutter and perhaps sell the items that she restores and sells for a living at a suitable auction. They left some boxes behind so she did not realise that they had taken all the stuff she needs to run her business, all her clothes, underwear included, and some sculptures of her family. The first knowledge that she had was when she was led into an auction room hundreds of miles from her home and when the blindfold was taken off she saw to her horror that everything (apart form the stuff that she wanted to get rid of) was on the shelves of a boot sale type auction. It was then cold for peanuts. At several points she was misled and tactics reminiscent of brain washing (such as the horrible shock mentioned above) caused her to lose the plot. Her friend was physically obstructed from trying to buy some of the items back for her.

She has lost her business and nearly lost her life with terrible clinical depression. She has no money for lawyers so I am going to represent her. I need all the pointers I can get. Can you advise me? which bits of the law do I need to mug up on.
41 minutes ago - 4 days left to answer.

[brenda]

Sorry to appear stupid and not of much help -- but has all this been reported to the police -- and if so -- what do they say?

[scotman]

Agree with Brenda.
Contact police or television regulator

[another-view]

Surely she knew what she was getting into. If not, I'm surprised her business lasted so long. What made her think it was a BBC show? Had she applied to appear on it?